It's Good To Be The Kings

Late July in 2021, Michael King swerved to avoid a deer. The truck rolled and his younger brother Tyler was caught in the rollover. While Michael escaped the accident with a dislocated shoulder and multiple abrasions, Tyler suffered more severe injuries, including a shattered left wrist, cuts and abrasions to his face and leg.

Their father Casey arrived at the accident and had to use his own vehicle to move the pickup off of Tyler. When Tyler was successfully extracted and his dad was ready to load him into the working vehicle to transport him to the hospital, the 11-year-old yelled, "Shotgun!"

His claiming of the front seat on the way to the hospital, surely due in part to shock, was also a sign of a kid who was not going to let the accident and injuries keep him down.

After being examined at Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital in Glasgow, Tyler was flown to Billings due to the extent of his injuries. He spent four days in the hospital there where he went through a few clean-up surgeries but the medical staff in Billings decided he needed more advanced care.

Tyler's mom, Sammy Jo, laughed when recalling the experience. "They were like, 'um, I'm not touching this.'" So, Tyler and the family were flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Wash. Over a week-and-a-half at the Level 1 pediatric trauma center, Tyler endured eight surgeries, including the implantation of microchips in his left hand to hold veins together.

Surrounded by family and friends, near and far, Tyler endured his medical treatments and came out, more often than not, with a smile on his face. The now-13-year-old is facing only one additional surgery: the amputation of his pinky finger. Sammy Jo said, "He has to get his pinky amputated, but it's going to be on his terms." Tyler, the tough young wrestler, was quick to correct, "I don't have to. They want to."

For now, the pinky remains. "It's just kind of a dead finger. He has to buddy tape it when he wrestles," Mom said. Tyler admitted the finger hurts when his opponents grab it during a match, but feels tough enough to endure the pain. In addition, he adheres to the adage that "Chicks dig scars" and his pinky might be the best of his collection.

The loss of a finger and recovery from his injuries could be considered a handicap, but Tyler does not think of himself as hindered. In fact, he crushed his seventh-grade year as a member of the Glasgow Middle School wrestling team, finishing the season with a 24-3 record, after missing his first year of the program.

Tyler, a wrestler since he was a toddler, was thrilled with his return especially since his favorite part of the sport is winning. And there looks to be a lot more of that in his future. Now that the middle school season is over, he is competing in AAU wrestling.

Coming back to the sport after an involuntary year off has not been all easy. Tyler said the hardest part of returning to wrestling was mental, adding, "There's a whole lot of doubt but at the same time you know you can do it."

Fortunately for Tyler, he has not had to face the battle alone. His family is heavily invested in Scottie wrestling. Michael wrestles for Glasgow High School and brother Cody King helps coach that team. Casey is "instrumental in our [Glasgow Wrestling Club]" according to high school head coach Jory Casterline. Sammy Jo is at nearly every meet cheering on her son. Sister Kaylee is often found in the stands as well to support her youngest sibling.

Michael and Tyler have been there for each other since the accident. Michael said, "I felt scared and when I knew he would be ok, I felt relieved." Tyler gave up his meet this past weekend to cheer on Michael at the Divisional meet and will miss another meet to be in the stands at the State tournament and Michael is thankful for it. "He is my number one fan so it makes me feel happier than ever knowing he is watching me and looking up to me."

Michael makes his return to the State tournament this year, after making it for the first time last year as a freshman. The sport has helped him accept the accident and the resulting medical care for Tyler. "Wrestling is my happy place and I can take all my feeling and use it on the mat." He added, "I am most proud of how far I have come with the support of my friends and family and having my older brother be able to coach me all these years."

Of the brothers' relationship Sammy Jo said, with a mother's love, "It's the same. They still fight like cats and dogs. It's ridiculous."

Tyler also found support and encouragement outside his immediate family. In Seattle, family friend Cole Anderson was a "saving grace" spending time with the recovering wrestler and Aaron Zoanni, Tyler's best friend from Glasgow, supported him from afar.

"I think the person that's helped me get through the most is probably my best friend, Aaron Zoanni," Tyler said, though he added of his basketball playing friend, "I'd like him more if he was a wrestler." Aaron was one of the first people to come over and visit Tyler when he returned home to Glasgow. He helps Tyler when the latter hits a hard day, talking and hanging out.

Aaron said he was heartbroken and in shock when he learned about the accident, scared his best friend might die. When Tyler was well enough, Aaron reached out, face timing as often as possible while Tyler was in the hospital.

"I tried to hang out with him as much as possible, helped him put on his brace, gave him an ear to talk to. As soon as we heard of his accident my family and I ordered him a soft blanket with his favorite football team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, as I knew he'd be resting a lot, " Aaron said. Now with Tyler wrestling again, his friend has been there in person, when not off playing basketball.

"At the Glasgow meet this year I cheered him on right on the mat with the coaches and his other wrestling friends." Aaron said his favorite thing about Tyler is his fun-loving personality and ability to make your day and make you laugh, while adding the best part of their friendship is communication and helping each other along the way.

Within the Wrestling Club, Tyler found a friend and mentor in coach Myles Kittleson. "Myles and I have a lot of similarities, but a lot of differences too. He's helped me a lot. I love Myles," Tyler exclaimed.

The affection runs both ways. Myles told the Courier, "As far as me and my experiences, I am able to relate to Tyler in ways that not many others can ...Tyler is an inspiration to me to do better. He is a young kid and he really does an incredible job at walking out forgiveness and doing his best every time without making excuses."

Myles also said Tyler is one of the hardest workers in the Wrestling Club and has a bright future in the sport. Indeed, the youngest King has already set his sights on the State Tournament next year, when he will be able to wrestle up at the high school level as an eighth-grader, and in out-performing brother Cody, who qualified for State in all four of his high school seasons.

Tyler's favorite coach also believes wrestling has helped Tyler recover. "Any time that you have a life-changing thing happen and you can return to a thing that you did before the accident, it establishes a sense of normalcy, which is the goal in any recovery process. Wrestling is the most difficult sport a person can do as far as the mental aspect of life. Wrestling will prepare you to go through anything in life. Dan Gable has a famous quote, 'Once you've wrestled, everything else in life is easy.' Tyler is a perfect example of this quote. It only took him a year to want to come back to one of the most difficult sports out there. Tyler had said many times during the season that he just wanted to give up, but he didn't. That shows the mental strength of that little boy becoming a man."

Tyler has gained a lot from wrestling, while also participating in football, baseball, rodeo and golf, but he says, "Wrestling's made me a tougher person. It's the best sport."

That sentiment is shared by many in his world. Casey knows the sport has helped both his sons post-accident.

"The most difficult thing was wondering if he would be able to keep his hand and if so, how much use would have with it since it was not your everyday procedure. It was all a waiting game to see how it would turnout, a lot depending on how hard he did rehab and he went full bore on that," he explained.

"Watching him wrestle this year, he didn't miss a beat from having a year off," he continued, "but it wasn't like he wasn't around it cause we still had Michael in wrestling so we went to all his meets and Tyler sat in on a lot practices and did what he could during practice as far as drills go.

"I'm proud of both of them for not giving up and moving forward in all the sports they do. But wrestling is the biggest team sport that you do by yourself, but not by yourself ... it's a team and a family in wrestling."

Both Tyler and Michael have excelled in their sport since the accident, learning much about themselves and recovery, while those around them have also gained wisdom from the experience and the sport of wrestling.

Michael offers up to anyone who might face a traumatic event, "No matter what comes your way or no matter how bad things get, never give up and in the end things will be okay."

Aaron advises friends to help in every way you can, lending them an ear and finding stuff to do together.

Tyler said, "Don't let people treat you different just because you have an injury or because you were in an accident. Don't have friends that just feel bad for you. Say what you feel."

Myles offered up advice for both athletes and coaches who might find themselves in a similar spot. For fellow coaches welcoming back athletes after setbacks, he said, "Realize that they are having to re-learn the sport all over again. Some parts of it will come easier than others. This can be very frustrating for the athlete. As coaches we have to give them some grace as they re-learn the sport. Things that used to come easy to them, they will have to do differently now, which will be difficult until they figure it out the new way."

To kids returning to a sport they love, like Tyler to wrestling, he coaches, "Don't give up. If you have any desire to go give it a shot, do it. Go out and give your best effort every day, every practice. It might be difficult at first, but it will get easier. You will never regret going back out for something you love."

Sammy Jo reflected on her fortune despite the trauma. "How grateful I am because I kind of forget all about it and then I'm like, oh my God, I almost lost my children. So it kind of gives me a reality check."

But now Sammy Jo, all the Kings and their extended wrestling family are looking forward, not back. And their futures will be guided by wrestling: meets and matches for the Scottie grapplers, Tyler and Michael, and a future influenced by the lessons learned in their sport.